On a damp and cool day in downtown Hartford, fans who packed into the XL Center were treated to the hot action and fierce competition that only Monster Jam can bring!

The event opened with the Monster Wheelie Competition and a great opening pop and drop by Dave Waple in Screamin’ Demon that earned a 13.  Larry Jarzel had the slightest slip of the wheels with Pouncer’s effort and fell just short of the lead with a 12.  Whit Tarlton popped a nice vertical shot with Monster Mutt to take the lead with a 16, while hometown star Pat Summa blasted Thrasher to the top of the charts with an 18.  Allen Pezo got a great shot with Predator that raised the bar again with a 23, but Gary Porter had been watching intently, and he fired up Grave Digger and nailed a nice walking wheelie to top the scores with a 26 and take the win!

Digger opened round one of Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam Racing with a victory over Trasher, while Pouncer slipped past Screamin Demon and Monster Mutt beat Predator.  Thrasher was the fast loser from round one and got to fill the fourth slot in the Semi Finals, but he wasn’t the only one to advance, as a mechanical problem on Pouncer kept him on the sidelines for the semis.

Digger and Mutt faced off in the first Semi Final with Digger nailing down the win in a close battle, and Screamin Demon made its return to take on Thrasher in the second Semi Final.  This was a pretty close one as well, with Thrasher getting the win…and a chance to avenge a round one loss to Digger!

Hometown warrior versus legendary champion:  A classic Monster Jam Racing Final was about to unfold.  As both trucks fired off the Advance Auto Parts starting line, you could hear the slightest ‘hiccup’ in Thrasher’s motor…not enough to do any damage, but just enough to cost him a couple of feet to Digger, which was the margin of victory.

Score after racing:  Digger 2, everyone else…looking for their final shot at a win during Ford Trucks Monster Freestyle!

Before the monsters went freestyling, the crowd enjoyed the amazing aerial action delivered by Freestyle Motocrossers Mike Lesline, Rich Kearns, and Trevor Vines…including an out-of-nowhere backflip from Kearns that electrified the fans!

Quad Wars competitors went tooth and nail, wheel to wheel, and threw elbows (and machines) in an intense short track battle as well.

With everything set, Ford Trucks Monster Freestyle began with Screamin Demon hitting some air to score a 10.  Pouncer followed with some good air as well, taking the lead with a 16.  Thrasher launched over the Advance Auto Parts Pyramid to tie Pouncer with a 16, while Monster Mutt mixed air and a cyclone donut to bump up with a 20.  Predator also had a solid mix of wheelies, air, and donuts to take the lead with a 24…which left only Digger.

Gary Porter had again been watching (and listening) as the other competitors made their efforts…and figured out what it was going to take to get the sweep…then delivered.

Big air.  Donuts.  More big air…then the icing on the cake…a full blown launch of the giant Freestyle Motocross dirt ramp that had everyone’s jaw dropping!  End result: a 27, and the ‘hat trick’ for Digger!

MONSTER WHEELIE COMPETITION

Screamin Demon – 13

Pouncer – 12

Monster Mutt – 16

Thrasher – 18

Predator – 23

Grave Digger – 26

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MONSTER JAM RACING

ROUND ONE:

Grave Digger def. Thrasher

Pouncer def. Screamin Demon

Monster Mutt def. Predator

SEMI FINALS:

Thrasher def. Screamin Demon (Thrasher was fast loser from round one, Pouncer out with mechanical issues)

Grave Digger def. Monster Mutt

FINALS:

Grave Digger def. Thrasher

FORD TRUCKS MONSTER FREESTYLE

Screamin' Demon – 10

Pouncer – 16

Thrasher – 16

Monster Mutt – 20

Predator – 24

Grave Digger – 27

The road to the Monster Jam NGK Spark Plugs World Finals continued Saturday night at XL Center in Hartford with Grave Digger holding the early advantage, having won all three Monster Jam disciplines earlier in the afternoon.

Could Digger continue the momentum on the road to Las Vegas?

The Saturday night action began with the Wheelie Competition and Dave Waple in Screamin Demon.  Waple got off a nice vertical shot and put up a 15 to open the scoring.  Larry Jarzel followed with Pouncer, coming up just one point short of the leader at a 14.  Whit Tarlton brought Monster Mutt up and walked his wheelie across the cars to take the lead with a 23.  Pat Summa put Thrasher vertical and just missed the top spot with a 22.  Allen Pezo put Predator on the board with a 19…a competitive group for sure, but there still was one truck left…Digger!

Gary Porter blasted Digger vertical…held it across the crush cars…and as the back wheels hit the dirt, the truck titled sideways.  For a brief moment, it looked like Porter could save it…but at the last second, Digger tipped slowly onto its side.  The crowd roared its approval, and the judges agreed with the fans, giving Digger a 28 and another win! 

Digger carried that winning momentum into the first round of Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam Racing, taking out Screamin Demon to go on to the semi finals.  Predator beat Thrasher and Pouncer knocked out Monster Mutt to complete the round.

The Semi Finals began with Digger and Predator squaring off, with Digger besting Predator to move into the finals for the second time.  On the other side of the ladder, Thrasher came back as the fast loser from round one, but couldn’t best Pouncer, setting up the final between Pouncer and Digger. 

Over the years of Monster Jam, there have been a ton of close finishes in a Monster Jam Racing Final.  When you have to rely on electronic scoring because the finish line camera can’t determine a winner, it’s REALLY close.  Such was the case in this final…Pouncer and Digger crossed the line together…and the camera shot would have called it a dead heat…but going back to the electronic scoring, a margin of victory of .0001 was registered…in favor of Pouncer!  Jarzel had derailed the Digger train…but what would happen come Monster Freestyle time? 

After the fans watched Rich Kears win an intense Freestyle Motocross competition and thrilled to the non stop, off the hook action of Quad Wars, they were more than ready to see the monsters tear up the track in Ford Trucks Monster Freestyle!  Screamin Demon started off with pop and drop wheelies and big air to post a 17.  Pouncer, looking to score another win, grabbed the lead from Demon with an 18, but there were still 4 trucks left to run.  As Jarzel watched from the hot seat, Thrasher blasted through his run, but it wasn’t quite enough in the mind of the judges to take the lead, as Thrasher netted a 15.  Monster Mutt blasted out next, tossing in a couple of big cyclone donuts to score a 19 and take the lead.  Bad luck befell Predator after a couple of big hits on the crush cars as the front steering broke, and Predator only scored a 6.

Digger time…big air, wheelies, donuts…and when Porter locked his sights on the big dirt ramp, the fans stood up in anticipation of what they were about to see.  Digger blasted through the air…floating, almost weightless…but what goes up must come down, and when Digger did, the front axle broke and Digger almost did a classic ‘lawn dart’!

Was it enough for Digger to avenge a racing loss with a freestyle win? 

The answer…23…an emphatic yes! 

MONSTER JAM WHEELIE COMPETITION 

Screamin Demon – 15

Pouncer – 14

Monster Mutt – 23

Thrasher – 22

Predator – 19

Grave Digger – 28

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MONSTER JAM RACING

ROUND ONE:

Pouncer def. Monster Mutt

Predator def. Thrasher

Grave Digger def. Screamin' Demon

SEMI FINALS:

Pouncer def. Thrasher (fast loser from round one)

Grave Digger def. Predator

FINALS:

Pouncer def. Grave Digger 

FORD TRUCKS MONSTER FREESTYLE
Screamin Demon – 17

Pouncer – 18

Thrasher – 15

Monster Mutt – 19

Predator – 6

Grave Digger – 23

Paul Szmal

Monster Jam Announcer

The final day of Monster Jam brought to you by Advance Auto Parts and Ford Trucks was a wild one that demonstrated both the camaraderie and competitiveness of the Monster Jam drivers and crews.

Before the show began, Gary Porter and the Grave Digger crew discovered a leak in the left front tire on their machine.  Doing their best to reinflate it, they elected to bypass the Sweet Jane’s Monster Wheelie Competition so they could fortify the tire for the upcoming racing rounds.

The Wheelie Competition got started with David Waple and Screamin Demon blasting a power wheelie that was rock solid, but the judges were being tough on this day, and Demon only got an 11.  Larry Jarzel and Pouncer came up next and popped and dropped for a 16.  Whit Tarlton brought out Monster Mutt and blasted a great vertical shot to score a 24 and take the hot seat with the lead.  Pat Summa tried a twisting wheelie with Thrasher, but the judges gave that a 17.  After Allen Pezo posted a 21 with Predator, the battle was over…and the Mutt had nailed down its first win of the weekend!

The Digger team, meanwhile, had the mean green wreckin’ machine set for the opening round of Monster Jam racing, and knocked out Screamin Demon…but paid the price, as the repaired tire again went flat, leaving the crew to once again scramble.  Pouncer beat Thrasher and Predator knocked off Monster Mutt to complete the round.

Thrasher and Mutt both came back for the Semi Finals with Digger again sidelined, but neither driver had good luck, as Predator beat Thrasher and Pouncer beat Mutt to set up the final.

Pouncer was looking for his second win of the weekend, and Predator didn’t want to leave without a win…so the packed house was guaranteed an intense battle, and that’s what they got, start to finish…with Predator taking a close win!

While the fans were being treated to the intensity and full contact action of Quad Wars and the wild aerial excitement of Freestyle Motocross, there was a hive of activity in the Monster pit area.  It appeared as though Digger wasn’t going to be able to compete in Ford Trucks Monster Freestyle, as the rim was damaged on the tire that kept going flat.

Digger’s competitors had other ideas, though…and banded together to concoct a plan to switch a tire from Thrasher to Digger after Thrasher’s run.  With the wheels set in motion, so to speak, Ford Trucks Monster Freestyle kicked off with Screamin Demon tearing around the track to score a 19, followed by Pouncer posting a 19.  Thrasher locked in a nice donut to wrap up his run and score a 16, while Monster Mutt blasted his way to a 23.

Predator, smelling the chance to sweep racing and freestyle, laid down a fantastic, high flying run, complete with a super cyclone at the end, and took the lead with a 25.  Meanwhile, the rest of the competitors and crews were in full on thrash mode pulling a tire swap between Thrasher and Digger…and when the fans heard that familiar music blasting through the XL Center, they came to their feet to welcome Digger to the track!

Porter was chomping at the bit and delivered a masterful Digger freestyle, knowing that he’d have to pull something big to collect the win…and a finale that consisted of a massive air launch off the Freestyle Motocross dirt ramp appeared to have done the trick as the fans screamed and shouted their approval…but the judges saw things a bit differently and gave Digger the same score as Predator, a 25.

It would be up to the fans to decide the winner…and they chose Digger!

Porter acknowledged everyone’s efforts following the win, stating in simple terms that if it hadn’t been for the generosity and hard work of his fellow competitors, he might have had to sit on the sidelines…but at the same time, he knew that the freestyle win would be another strong step toward the ultimate destination…Las Vegas…and the Monster Jam NGK Spark Plugs World Finals!

MONSTER WHEELIE COMPETITION

Screamin Demon – 11

Pouncer – 16

Monster Mutt – 24

Thrasher – 17

Predator – 21

Grave Digger – did not run (flat tire)

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MONSTER JAM RACING

ROUND ONE:

Grave Digger def. Screamin Demon

Predator def. Monster Mutt

Pouncer def. Thrasher

SEMI FINALS:

Pouncer def. Monster Mutt (replacing Digger)

Predator def. Thrasher (fast loser from round one)

FINALS:

Predator def. Pouncer

FORD TRUCKS MONSTER FREESTYLE:

Screamin Demon – 14

Pouncer – 19

Thrasher – 16

Monster Mutt – 23

Predator – 25

Grave Digger – 25

Digger wins cheer-off

Paul Szmal

Monster Jam Announcer